


Always looking down at all I see–

by rainbowrabblerouser



Series: unique POVs [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arguing, Based on a Tumblr Post, Betting, Character Study, Everyone Is Gay, Humor, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, Introspection, Jokes, Knight Nonsense, Leon Knows About Merlin's Magic and How He is Gay, M/M, an episode from his perspective, pov leon, this is the point I'm at in this quarantine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:41:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23466313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbowrabblerouser/pseuds/rainbowrabblerouser
Summary: Leon is a knight of Camelot. Dealing with Merlin and Arthur is well above his pay grade.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: unique POVs [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1710451
Comments: 3
Kudos: 205





	Always looking down at all I see–

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from "Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon - of course
> 
> It was either that or "Sex on Fire"...
> 
> Enjoy !

Leon has known Arthur for quite a long, long time. 

Since they were 4 years old to be exact.

They weren’t best friends, but they were close. He would lay down his life for the king. 

If only Arthur wasn’t such a dunce.

He recalled Arthur studying like hell in school, but personally being a huge idiot. He never understood when girls and boys liked him, then he’d complain that he had no one to dance with – or that he had no one to fancy. 

He was a prince – could have anyone he wanted, but he was still going to the prom “stag” and Leon was just there with him, fixing his bow and making sure he didn’t get too smashed for the ceremony tomorrow. 

Uther had trusted Leon ever since he had found him patching Arthur up after he had fallen down a stream. Lucky him. 

The guardian angel of the prince of Camelot.

But when a boy kept showing up to their training, making everyone, even the king, laugh, Leon was hit with a wave of confusion and surprise. It was almost...well...pleasant to see Arthur so giddy. Because of some servant boy with a dopey grin and big ears.

Merlin. His right-hand. Maybe his lover.

There was a betting pool he was currently winning. Gwaine and Lancelot were too stupid to win. Percival and Elyan had an advantage, but he wouldn’t be cheated out.

Gwen was the only one to ever beat him. Unfair. She shared a bed with one of them.

He swore on Uther’s grave he would win.

Leon never really cared for Uther. He always gave him rape-y creepy, homophobic, racist grandpa vibes. He was a knight because of his brother, who made him promise.

He was terminal, so he had to do it for him.

Whatever. 

Fuck Uther. 

If he had gotten money every time Merlin had been accused of treason or something that was not magic-related – just stupid, he would be able to move out of Camelot. 

Start his own kingdom. Leonville. 

No. Leon’s Landing.

He had never seen someone so happy when he saw Arthur with Merlin. 

Once, he hung out with Merlin on his day off to see what he was like. 

Don’t get him wrong, Merlin was a sweetheart: just adorable and sweet and sarcastic and sharper than all. But dear God, was he a moron. An idiot for Arthur.

They deserved each other. 

So much so that Gwen was really reconsidering her “courtship” with Arthur. It seems very, very fake to him. Just a ploy to convince the kingdom they were okay.

They never were.

Arthur and Gwen’s sexless romance reminded him of the rumors he had heard in the tavern – latest gossip of Sir Shawn and the mage Camila. It was just sad to him.

Leon never fancied anyone like that. 

He was content on his own. 

He just wished the two idiots would do something already. 

The rules were no interference with the two, but Gwaine always broke it and Gwen was breaking it by existing. So he was gonna cash his turn in.

And he would do it in style, goddamn it. 

“You know the rules and so do I.” 

“Oh, shut up, Lancelot.”

Lancelot was his best buddy. 

He was quite underrated. Real quiet and mysterious.

Leon always guessed he held a candle for Gwen. Or Merlin. 

He gave him hopeless romantic vibes. 

But like what the kids in the tavern called a “simp(leton)” – always the gentleman, never the lover. It was kind of sad.

He really felt for him. So that was why he had to do it.

“Gwen wants you back. Go do something before I do.”

Game was a-go. 

Like he said, Merlin is a sweetie, but too dumb for his own good. 

“I think I know your secret, Merlin,” Leon would say as they fixed the fire one night while everyone else got water. 

Merlin had halted and looked right at him, face so pale and mouth zipped up. 

His eyes looked right at him and his soul melted.

“You do?”

Leon sighed, “Uh yeah, it’s obvious.”

Merlin looked like he was going to cry.

“Oh, please don’t tell anyone! Please! Don’t tell Arthur! Only Morgana and Gaius know and she– she’s the same as me! Leon…”

Merlin walked up next to him and Leon took him into his arms for a hug.

Leon wasn’t aware of Morgana fancying women. Huh.

Guess he needed to get better observational skills.

“Arthur can’t know…”

Leon exhaled and watched as the fire burned beneath him.

Having magic wasn’t as bad as having a crush on the king, he thought. 

Merlin has two (2) too many secrets.

Arthur had returned and Merlin went inside his tent to join him. 

Of course.

Leon had nearly dozed off after Gwaine and Percival began stargazing, but Gwaine only saw a bunch of lights since his eyesight was shit. 

Percival talked about his quest to find eggs and then Elyan told them to shut the hell up and listen. Shhhhh, Mom and Dad are fighting.

Merlin and Arthur were talking in the distance. 

They had stormed out of Arthur’s – their – tent and took “a stroll” into the night.

Arthur was obviously upset about something, but Merlin was downright furious.

The knights knew not to get in the way of a pissed off Merlin. 

So they all shut the fuck up and listened as they heard them come back.

“Oh, do you give every fair maiden your mother’s seal?”

Arthur was rendered silent for once in his damn life.

“I. Don’t. Think. So.”

More silence.

“You may be the king, but God, are you an absolute prat.”

Merlin’s words were poison. 

Well, that was that. 

Arthur slumped by the fire. 

Guess he was kicked out of their tent that night. Or at least until Merlin got cold.

“Hello, lads. Seems I have been booted...men, am I right?”

Elyan put the fire out as Arthur attempted to explain.

Nope. 

“Just don’t involve us. We know.”

Arthur scoffed and then dozed off as the guys continued stargazing.

Leon lay back and looked up, he guessed he just saw piercing lights, same as Merlin’s eyes when he told him.

Which secret did Merlin think he knew?

Whatever. 

He would win soon enough.

When they return to Camelot, Gwen asks Elyan about Arthur’s depressed demeanor, but he has no words whatsoever. 

How the hell do you explain that your sister is mad simping?

On the king, no less?

What a mess. Maybe his mother had made the mistake when they moved to Camelot all of those years ago. They had left him here when they realized that an alliance was the optimal move. He was a nobleman, but truly a pawn in the game.

But men like Arthur are oblivious to matters like that.

Arthur was a lovesick fool for his servant. Who was magical in every way.

Magic, being outlawed, was just something he could never wrap his head around. 

Leon was an accepting person, his sister was...different too. He understood the fear of exposure and the longing for vulnerability. He saw how Gwaine would look at the others. He knew that Elyan and Percival would bite their tongues to not reveal.

The things that were better left unsaid.

He wouldn’t deny he never thought about it. 

Another night in the tavern, the knights played another “team-building exercise” – a primary school game. Leon supposed it was more secondary, in his opinion.

“Fuck, marry, kill. Gwen. Arthur. Merlin.”

Elyan snorted while Percival spit out his ale. Gwaine waved his hand for more drinks.

It would be a very, very long night.

“Of course, we kill Arthur. It’s easier that way.”

With impeccable timing, Arthur was on them.

“Kill the king? Merlin, what do you think?”

“Sire, no one wants to marry you. Surely, none of the knights.”

Arthur pushed him into the booth and slid in right next to him.

All right. 

This was like having your mother and father at your hangout with the boys.

  
Awkward, confusing, but relieving since they were paying for everything.

“Marry Merlin or Gwen?”

“Obviously, marry Merlin,” Arthur said without a sliver of doubt. 

The knights lost it.

“He is my wife, I suppose.”

Arthur was killing them, while Merlin blushed red.

Merlin continued to crack zingers and the knights kept laughing throughout the night.

“You would have been such a good bard! Imagine!”

Arthur cackled. “He’d get kicked out or murdered. So quick.”

Leon took another swig of his drink. 

“I think he’d be a better bard than a warlock,” he said with a wink.

Merlin flushed as Arthur pulled him close, swinging an arm around him.

“Leon, you’re quite the comic. Merlin! As a warlock! Imagine that.”

Elyan and Percival had passed out on the table and Gwen had to poke her brother.

Their father carried Elyan off to bed, while Percival followed them out.

Gwaine kept going and went to the stage. Leon mentally prepared himself for the shitshow he would witness. It was a nightmare.

Merlin and Arthur left together.

Leon had to bring Gwaine back to his quarters.

The next day was their day off.

Leon just went to the woods and walked.

He liked to clear his head.

It was a beautiful day for a nice stroll alone.

Then, it wasn’t.

Before he knew it, Leon had stumbled in on a picnic.

Merlin and Arthur’s.

They were on a date?

And he guessed he was the winner.

Leon had run back to the tavern and yelled in victory.

Just another day in Camelot.

Perhaps there were perks to being a knight.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> tumblr: @rainbowrabblerouser
> 
> Leon should have been the Chosen One.


End file.
